16 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: EU and UK increase sanctions on Russia as drone strike on Odesa kills one

EU agrees 18th package of sanctions against Moscow, including a moving price cap on Russian oil 15% below market rates. What we know on day 1,242One person was killed and at least one apartment building set alight in Odesa after Russian forces staged a mass drone attack on the Ukrainian Black Sea port. The city’s mayor, Gennadiy Trukhanov, said at least 20 drones had converged on the city. “Civilian infrastructure was damaged as a result of the attack. A residential high-rise building is on fire” and rescuers were pulling people out, he said. The Odesa region’s emergency service said later that five people were rescued from burning apartments but “one rescued woman died”.The Russian defence ministry said its air defence systems destroyed 87 Ukrainian drones in a five-hour period on Friday evening, including over the Bryansk region bordering northern Ukraine and the Moscow region. Russian aviation authorities were once again forced to suspend flights at Sheremetyevo and Domodedovo ai...

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42 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: US moving ‘with haste’ to enable weapons shipments to Kyiv, says Washington

Nato commander says separately that preparations under way to send first Patriot systems to Ukraine in deal involving European countries buying arms. What we know on day 1,241See all our Russia-Ukraine war coverageThe US is moving to get weapons to Ukraine quickly under President Donald Trump’s plan for Europe to buy arms and is weighing selling Patriot air defence systems from its own stocks, Washington’s envoy to Nato has said. “We are all moving with haste to facilitate this and get this done, and, you know, I think things are actually moving very quickly,” the US ambassador to Nato, Matthew Whitaker, told journalists on Thursday. “But I can’t verify a date that this will all be completed.” Trump on Monday announced a deal with Nato chief Mark Rutte for European states in the alliance to buy US weaponry – particularly advanced Patriot systems – and give it to Kyiv, but questions have been raised over where the systems will come from and how soon they can get to Ukraine amid Russi...

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66 h. ago Ukraine war briefing: Weapons will be Europe’s support to Ukraine – not Trump’s, Kallas suggests

‘If you promise to give the weapons, but say somebody else is going to pay, it’s not really given by you’; Russia bombs shopping centre, killing two. What we know on day 1,240Donald Trump’s move to take credit for the additional weapons headed to Ukraine at Europe’s expense has created some mild friction in EU-US relations. “If we pay for these weapons, it’s our support,” said Kaja Kallas, the EU foreign policy chief, on Wednesday. “So it’s European support, and we are doing as much as we can to help Ukraine If you promise to give the weapons but say that somebody else is going to pay for it, it’s not really given by you, is it? We welcome President Trump’s announcement to send more weapons to Ukraine, although we would like to see the US share the burden.”A meeting of Patriot owner nations and Ukraine donors – aiming to find additional Patriot air defence systems for Kyiv and chaired by Nato’s top military commander – could take place on Wednesday of next week, Reuters reported. A ...

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1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: US weapons supply pause ‘caught Trump off guard’

Russian claim of deadly Ukrainian attack on Kursk beach; convictions over Wagner arson attack in London. What we know on day 1,232Trump criticises Putin and promises Patriots for UkraineDonald Trump was reportedly caught off guard by the Pentagon’s abrupt move to pause Ukraine weapons deliveries, which the president has overturned. The Associated Press cited three people familiar with the matter, one of whom described Trump as being caught “flat footed” by last week’s announcement. A Pentagon spokesperson denied that the defence secretary, Pete Hegseth, had acted without consulting the president. But asked by a reporter on Tuesday who had approved the pause, Trump bristled at the question while he was gathered with his Cabinet. “I don’t know. Why don’t you tell me?”Trump on Tuesday voiced his frustration with Vladimir Putin and promised to send Ukraine 10 Patriot missiles, which are claimed to be in short supply. Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Trump said he was getting in...

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1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: US to resume shipments of weapons for Ukrainian defence

Deaths as Kharkiv, Odesa and Zaporizhzhia come under attack; Ukraine hits Russian warhead plant. What we know on day 1,231 Continue reading...

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1 week ago Ukraine war briefing: Zelenskyy says US, Europe deals will increase drone production

Married couple die in Russian strike against Kostyantynivka; Ukraine on agenda as Macron makes state visit to UK. What we know on day 1,230Russia and Ukraine struck each other with hundreds of drones on Sunday, throwing Russian air travel into disarray, as Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced Ukrainian deals with western partners allowing Kyiv to scale up production of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). Six Ukrainian drones targeted Moscow, said its mayor, Sergei Sobyanin, while another two were reported outside Russia’s second largest city, St Petersburg. Rosaviatsiya, Russia’s civil aviation authority, reported temporary airport closures in the two cities and other regional centres and said dozens of flights had been delayed.In Ukraine on Sunday, Russian drones injured three civilians in Kyiv and at least two in Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-largest city, located in the north-east, officials said. A Russian attack involving Shahed drones also targeted port infrastructure in Mykolaiv in central...

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2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: power to Zaporizhzhia plant cut off as UN watchdog warns nuclear safety ‘extremely precarious’

IAEA chief says electricity restored after 3½ hours as Ukraine blames Russian shelling for outage; Kyiv accuses Putin of ‘humiliating’ Trump with attack on capital. What we know on day 1,228Read all our Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

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2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Trump says he ‘didn’t make any progress’ with Putin after call

Russia launches drone attack on Kyiv hours after presidents’ phone call; US company Techmet to bid in first pilot project of US-Ukraine minerals fund. What we know on day 1,227Read all our Ukraine war coverage Continue reading...

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2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Washington downplays halt of some weapons shipments as Kyiv calls in US ambassador

Ukraine warns that any cut-off will ‘only encourage the aggressor’ while Pentagon spokesperson says Donald Trump still has ‘robust options’ for military aid to Ukraine. What we know on day 1,226Read all our Ukraine war coverageA decision by Washington to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine prompted warnings by Kyiv on Wednesday that the move would weaken its ability to defend against intensifying airstrikes and battlefield advances. Ukraine said it had called in the acting US envoy to Kyiv to underline the importance of military aid from Washington continuing, and cautioned that any cut-off would embolden Russia in its war in Ukraine. The Pentagon’s decision – tied to concerns that US military stockpiles are too low – began in recent days and includes 30 Patriot air defence missiles, which Ukraine relies on to destroy fast-moving ballistic missiles, four people familiar with the decision told Reuters on Wednesday. It also includes nearly 8,500 155mm artillery shells, ...

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2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia claims to have seized all of Luhansk region and first village in Dnipropetrovsk

If confirmed Luhansk would be first Ukrainian region to be fully occupied by Moscow; pictures show North Korean leader at repatriation of soldiers apparently killed in Ukraine. What we know on day 1,224Moscow’s forces have seized all of Luhansk – one of four regions Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in September 2022 despite not fully controlling a single one – Leonid Pasechnik, a Russia-appointed official there, said on Monday. If confirmed, that would make Luhansk the first Ukrainian region to be fully occupied by Russia after more than three years of war. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv on Pasechnik’s claim. In remarks to Russia’s state TV Channel One that aired Monday evening, Pasechnik said he had received a report “literally two days ago” saying that “100%” of the region was now under the control of Russian forces.Russian forces have captured a village in the Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk for the first time in their three-year offensive, Russian state media a...

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2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia claims to have seized all of Luhansk region; Kim Jong

If confirmed Luhansk would be first Ukrainian region to be fully occupied by Moscow; pictures show North Korean leader at repatriation of soldiers apparently killed in Ukraine. What we know on day 1,224Moscow’s forces have seized all of Luhansk – one of four regions Russia illegally annexed from Ukraine in September 2022 despite not fully controlling a single one – Leonid Pasechnik, a Russia-appointed official there, said on Monday. If confirmed, that would make Luhansk the first Ukrainian region to be fully occupied by Russia after more than three years of war. There was no immediate comment from Kyiv on Pasechnik’s claim. In remarks to Russia’s state TV Channel One that aired Monday evening, Pasechnik said he had received a report “literally two days ago” saying that “100%” of the region was now under the control of Russian forces.Russian forces have captured a village in the Ukrainian region of Dnipropetrovsk for the first time in their three-year offensive, Russian state media a...

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2 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: key eastern Ukrainian city under assault as Russia hails cooperation with North Korea

Russian troops surge toward Kostiantynivka; Moscow’s culture minister visits Pyongyang. What we know on day 1,222See all our Ukraine war coverageUkraine’s top commander said on Saturday his forces faced a new onslaught against a key city on the eastern front of its war against Russia, while Moscow said it was making progress in another sector farther south-west. Russian troops are focused on capturing all of the Donetsk region in eastern Ukraine and the city of Kostiantynivka has been a major target. Ukrainian forces have for months defended the city against fierce assaults.Top Ukrainian commander Oleksandr Syrskyi, writing on Telegram, said the area around Kostiantynivka was gripped by heavy fighting. “The enemy is surging towards Kostiantynivka, but apart from sustaining numerous losses, has achieved nothing,” Syrskyi said. “The aggressor is trying to break through our defences and advance along three operating sectors.”Russia’s defence ministry, in a report earlier in the day, sa...

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3 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Kyiv hits warplanes in Russia as missile attack kills five in Ukraine

Ukrainian military claims strike on four Su-34 bombers at Marinovka base about 900km from border; Russian attack on Samar wounds 25. What we know on day 1,221See all our Ukraine war coverageUkraine’s military has said it struck four warplanes at an airbase in central Russia’s Volgograd region as part of a drive to hit Russian war assets. It said on Telegram it had hit four Su-34 aircraft at the Marinovka base outside the city of Volgograd, about 900km (550 miles) from the Ukrainian border. The post on Friday said the operation was conducted by the military’s special operations branch, together with the SBU security service and other services of the military. “According to preliminary information, four aircraft were hit, specifically SU-34 planes, as well as technical-operational facilities where different warplanes are serviced and repaired,” the statement said. There was no immediate comment from the Russian military.Ukraine’s military said the damage to Marinovka was being assesse...

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3 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Soldiers captured by Russia in Mariupol among those released in prisoner swap

EU extends Russia sanctions but new package blocked by Slovakia. What we know on day 1,220Ukraine and Russia exchanged a new group of captured soldiers on Thursday, the latest in a series of prisoner swaps agreed at peace talks in Istanbul earlier this month. Neither side said how many prisoners were released in the latest exchange. The majority had been held captive for more than three years, according to Ukraine’s coordination headquarters for the treatment of prisoners of war. Many of them were taken prisoner in Mariupol, a Ukrainian port city that fell to Russian forces in 2022 after a nearly three-month siege, it said. Russian officials said its soldiers had been transferred to Belarus and were receiving “psychological and medical care”.The EU’s 27 leaders on Thursday agreed to extend sanctions on Russia for another six months, resolving fears that Kremlin-friendly Hungary would let the measures lapse, officials said. The decision at a summit in Brussels means that the EU’s swe...

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3 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Ukraine’s military commander vows to increase ‘scale and depth’ of attacks on Russia

Oleksandr Syrsky says ‘we will not just sit in defence’; ‘massive’ drone attack on Kyiv . What we know on day 1,216Read all our Ukraine war coverageAuthorities in Kyiv said early on Monday the Ukrainian capital was being subjected to “another massive attack” by Russian drones, reporting at least one person wounded. “Another massive attack on the capital. Possibly several waves of enemy drones,” said a statement from Tymur Tkachenko, the head of Kyiv’s military administration that urged people to stay in shelters.Ukraine’s top military commander has vowed to increase the “scale and depth” of strikes on Russia in remarks made public on Sunday, saying Kyiv would not sit idly by while Moscow prolonged its three-year invasion. Diplomatic efforts to end the war have stalled in recent weeks. The last direct meeting between the two sides was almost three weeks ago and no follow-up talks have been scheduled. “We will not just sit in defence. Because this brings nothing and eventually leads t...

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3 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia repatriated at least 20 of its own dead soldiers in recent exchanges, Zelenskyy says

‘Sometimes these bodies even have Russian passports’, says Zelenskyy, condemning Moscow’s disorganisation in swapping of PoWs and troops’ remains. What we know on day 1,215Volodymyr Zelenskyy said that Russia sent Ukraine at least 20 of its own dead soldiers in recent exchanges with Kyiv, describing it as a result of Moscow’s disorganisation in carrying out large swaps of wounded PoW’s and remains of troops. Zelenskyy said that an “Israeli mercenary” fighting for Moscow was among the dead Ukraine had received. Officials did not disclose the identities of the bodies: “They threw the corpses of their citizens at us. This is their attitude toward war, toward their soldiers. And this is already documented. Sometimes these bodies even have Russian passports,” he said. He said the Russian side insisted the dead were all Ukrainians.Zelenskyy has also accused western firms of supplying Russia with “machine tools” used to make weapons, in remarks made public Saturday. He said companies from ...

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4 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Putin’s claim that Ukraine is ‘ours’ is evidence of his disdain for peace efforts, says Kyiv

Russian president says Russians and Ukrainians are one people – which Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected – and warns Moscow could also seize Sumy city. What we know on day 1,214Vladimir Putin has said he believes the whole of Ukraine is “ours” and warned that advancing Russian forces could take the northern Ukrainian city of Sumy as part of a bid to carve out a buffer zone along the border. Ukraine’s foreign minister denounced the Russian president’s statements on Friday as evidence of Russian “disdain” for US peace efforts and said Moscow was bent on seizing more territory and killing more Ukrainians. Putin, when asked about fresh Russian advances, told the country’s flagship economic forum in St Petersburg that he considered Russians and Ukrainians to be one people and “in that sense the whole of Ukraine is ours”. Volodymyr Zelenskyy has repeatedly rejected the notion that Russians and Ukrainians are one people. The Ukrainian president said commanders had discussed Russia...

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4 w. ago Ukraine war briefing: Russia ‘on verge of recession’, Putin minister tells economic showcase

Drone attacks on Kharkiv and Odesa; don’t forget about Ukraine because of Iran-Israel fighting, say Kyiv officials. What we know on day 1,213 Vladimir Putin’s economy minister has warned that Russia is “on the verge” of recession as he spoke on the second day of a signature event meant to bolster economic confidence. The minister, Maxim Reshetnikov, said at the St Petersburg economic forum that his view was based on “current business sentiment and indicators” pointing to a slowdown. “Everything else depends on our decisions,” Reshetnikov said, calling for the central bank to show a “little love for the economy”.Russia’s central bank raised interest rates to an eye-watering 21% in October 2024 to combat inflation and kept them at that level until this month when it eased them to 20%. Russia’s economic growth slowed to 1.4% year-on-year in the first quarter of 2025, the lowest quarterly figure in two years. Prices are rising across the economy driven up by massive government spending ...

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last month Ukraine war briefing: Russia can defend itself, says Putin, as North Korea sends more soldiers

Death toll rises to 28 after Russian attack on Kyiv apartments; Zelenskyy planning to attend Nato summit in The Hague. What we know on day 1,212Vladimir Putin said on Thursday he was ready to meet with Ukrainian counterpart Volodymyr Zelenskyy but only during a “final phase” of negotiations “so as not to sit there and divide things up endlessly, but to put an end to it”. Putin made his customary false accusation that Zelenskyy is not Ukraine’s legitimate president.In a round-table interview in St Petersburg with international news agencies, Putin said on Nato: “We do not consider any Nato rearmament to be a threat to the Russian Federation, because we are self-sufficient in terms of ensuring our security.” Russia has brought in thousands of North Korean soldiers to help defend Kursk; and has relied on a flood of arms and ammunition from North Korea as well as Iranian drones and missiles to wage war on Ukraine; while also receiving suspected help from China to continue arming a “spec...

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